Crashing the “1% Singles Ball”

You read that right. The Society of Single Professionals hosts dozens of events annually. But this past Friday was their first ever “1% Singles Ball”, wherein folks who consider themselves part of the illustrious 1% of the wealthiest people in the country might connect, fall in love, sign prenuptial agreements, and probably get divorced.

The evening’s concept was so amusing, I roped my good friend Beth Hondl into filming the event, much like we did in 2009 for the organization’s annual “Cougar Convention.” Basically, we went around the Stanford Court and begged people to answer our questions, Beth videotaped the whole thing, and we spent two hours shooting each other the side-eyes.

Beth and I were expecting a creepy, almost nasty crowd, folks who paid $30 to attend a rich-people dance party in a lesser hotel. We thought we’d find posers who self-identified as super-rich, which as you know automatically negates their wealthy status. It’s not like a Getty is walking around a 1% party. I assume that people who attend a 1% party are people people who cash out their 401Ks to buy PT Cruisers.

Turns out, the folks at the Society of Single Professionals 1% Ball were folks that go to all of the SOSP’s parties. They’re a little bit older, active, employed, funny, into going on dates. The 1% component of the event was almost a theme, like a luau or murder mystery party. I’m sure a lot of the people there had very hearty retirement funds, or make consistently moderate alimony payments. But no one considered themselves Richard Branson. Really, it was just another fun party to meet other single folks, dance to some Maroon Five, and have a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio.

Beth kept putting down her camera and saying “God, I love these people.”

Basically, a Society of Single Professionals event, be it 1% or otherwise, is fun, nonjudgmental party entirely made up of everyone’s fun, single relative from Thanksgiving. We interviewed Rich Goss, who runs the organization and acts as the events’ host. He very sweetly told us how he met his wife, how his job as a party-thrower rocks, and how he’s offering a 1% Singles Cruise this fall.

As we chatted, a 60-ish man approached me, and asked if I’d like a ride home.

“She writes a blog!” Rich said to him. “I went to college with her dad!”

Beth Spotswood writes two columns a week for the Culture Blog and full time for CBS San Francisco, in addition to head-writing and co-hosting of the satire webshow, Necessary Conversation. Winner of the 1986 City of Mill Valley Fire Prevention Poster Contest, Beth can be found on Twitter, and in the real world, where she also exists.